Scholars Discuss the Antimonopoly Tradition in American Democracy

The Tobin Project gathered twelve scholars on October 11th and 12th for a meeting on the development and evolution of the antimonopoly movement in the United States and the role it has played in American democracy. Participants discussed the political and economic factors that have motivated antimonopoly efforts in the past and sought to evaluate whether and how these efforts achieved their goals, as well as whether these efforts produced unforeseen consequences that presented new challenges. It is our hope that generating new research on this topic will contribute to ongoing debates about how we can better regulate the distribution of economic power to bolster and sustain a healthy democracy.

During the meeting, historians, legal scholars, and former government officials presented and workshopped papers and proposals for new inquiries into this area. Participants discussed how they could further develop their individual projects, how each contribution informed the others, and how this work collectively impacts our understanding of antimonopoly as a whole.

Looking ahead, scholars will expand their work in conversation with the Tobin Project and the initiative’s leaders, Daniel Crane (Frederick Paul Furth Sr. Professor of Law, University of Michigan Law School) and William Novak (Charles F. and Edith J. Clyne Professor of Law, University of Michigan Law School). We thank them and all the workshop participants for their efforts toward deepening our knowledge of American democracy and how antimonopoly has shaped it. We are excited to see the results of this research and look forward to exploring opportunities to bring it to a larger audience.